Theory of Evolution Cage Match

[Alan]

[rose-colored-coolaid]

[Robroy]

If you read my post carefully, you will realize I have given you plenty of fodder for your love fest/cage match.

Enjoy!

[Alan]

I remember a friend majoring in physics talking to me about theories one day. There was a time when physicists would make theories about what was "really" happening. These theories would like little stories about what the particles were actually doing.As long as the stories fit with observations, the stories got accepted.

Then someone made a story that said certain particles had a pilot element that intelligently guided them around to do what they had to do. His story fit with observation but it was patently ridiculous. Since then there has been a focus in physics on creating predictive equations without trying to add editorial about the true nature of the things being modelled. The focus was simply on creating predictive models.

I think this is the model I refer to above:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_wave

[lamont]

[Alan]

I'd like to close out this argument by claiming that the next time I play D&D, my character is going to claim that the entire world was created 30 years ago by a great being named Gary Gygax and that all of the evidence to the contrary was placed there to fool us by Gary Gygax's evil twin brother who has a goatee.

[Lake Hills Renter]

[rose-colored-coolaid]

[Alan]

My character will assert faith in the existence of Gary Gygax's twin brother and nothing you can say in character will be able to refute that faith.

Unless your are the DM and you allow my character to see into the real world.

[WestSideBilly]

[rose-colored-coolaid]

If we can clone Neanderthals, should we? Also, for whoever was arguing that we have no missing links, if we cloned a Neanderthal from a chimpanzee embryo, and the result was pretty human like (capacity for speech, walked upright) how would that reality affect your opinion?

Personally, I think this idea is fascinating and terrible. I don't see how we can in good conscience do it, nor do I see how in good conscience we cannot.

[WestSideBilly]

"No one knows if Neanderthals could speak. A living one would answer that question and many others."


Raising a Neanderthal from cloned DNA in a modern environment would only determine if they could speak, but not if they actually did. If the Neanderthal can communicate in English it means little in the grand scheme.

[rose-colored-coolaid]

[Lake Hills Renter]

Cloning humans/humanoids brings up a whole slew of ethical questions. Are they property, or are the individuals? Can they be made slaves, or are they afforded basic human rights?

[Charles Dean]

I do not think that the pros outweigh the cons in this instance. Cloning is a very slippery slope morally I think.